For the purpose of enrollment in BSD7, what is considered to be "true residency"?

A Bozeman school district resident is an
individual who is a full time occupant of a dwelling located in the
Bozeman school district who, on any given day, is likely to be at
his/her stated address when not in work or in school. A minor’s
residence is presumed to be the legal residence of the parent(s) or
guardian(s) who have physical custody of the minor.

What is proof of residence?

Proof of residence is defined as
documentation by the parent or legal guardian that the child resides at
an address within the school’s attendance boundary.

Preferred documentation that can be asked for as proof of residence are:

Utility bill for water, electric, gas
or telephone that indicates that the billing is in the
parent/guardian’s name and is being sent to the house; and

A school can request that one or more of the above be provided.

If none of the above is available, then the
school may use other documentation to verify residence. A home visit can
be made by school staff should there be questionable documentation.

I live outside of Bozeman, but I also own
property/run a business in the City. Can I use my property or business
address to enroll in school in Bozeman since I pay taxes in the City?

A person who owns property or business in
Bozeman, but does not reside in Bozeman, is not considered a resident.
Business addresses may not be used as residences.

What happens if I am caught using a false address?

Parent(s)/Guardian(s) are committing
residency fraud if they submit an address that is not their true
residence in the application and enrollment process or in other
documents submitted to the District. The student will be withdrawn from
the district. In addition, the issue will be turned over to law
enforcement for possible prosecution, and criminal charges may be filed.

The criminal statue that addresses this is:

45-7-203. Unsworn falsification to authorities.
(1) A person commits an offense under this section if, with the purpose
to mislead a public servant in performing an official function, the
person:

makes any written false statement that the person does not believe to be true;

purposely creates a false impression in a
written application for any pecuniary or other benefit by omitting
information necessary to prevent statements from being misleading;

submits or invites reliance on any writing that the person knows to be forged, altered, or otherwise lacking in authenticity; or

submits or invites reliance on any sample, specimen, map, boundary mark, or other object that the person knows to be false.

A person convicted of an offense under this
section shall be fined not to exceed $500 or be imprisoned in the county
jail for any term not to exceed 6 months, or both.

The restitution request upon conviction can be ordered for the value of all district costs.

What happens if the parents do not live together?

If the parents are separated and live at
different addresses, the student must physically reside with the
custodial parent(s) at the reported Bozeman address for at least 50% of
the time.

What if our family is homeless? Or what if we have no permanent residency or we are in transition between residences?

There are special enrollment provisions for
“homeless” students. Please contact the Enrollment office and they will
put you in contact with the District’s Homeless Liaison.